New Friends, New Conflicts
by Lisa Moulton
Summary: A trip to Alnilam does not bode well for Jareth. Injured at first, and things are going to grow steadily worse from there.
1. Horn To Flesh

**THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!**

**Disclaimer: Jareth is mine. Okay, no, he isn't. ; He's the property of Jim Henson. While Rising Fog/Jamie is mine, Kinsellan flits are the sole creation and property of Jessica T. Harvey (and any info on them given in this story was told to me by her). Contact her for one of her own (elfwood.lysator.liu.se/loth/j/t/jth/jth.html). Janis Thorn's name was borrowed from "Doctor Who", which is the property of the BBC. Everything and everyone else is mine. MarySu warning: Don't read if you look down on it, even though Alien Lisa is only the me I want to be. This tale is dedicated to Sallie Drazzi, who poked and prodded me into getting this thing written.**

It was a nice day for a picnic dinner, Lisa and Goldy decided, so Lisa packed a basket and headed toward a lone tree in the middle of the small meadow. Lisa spread out a blanket and Goldy put the basket down on it. They both laid down on it. Lisa's flit, Rising Fog (or Jamie, as Lisa called him), accompanied them.

To anyone who saw her, they'd think Lisa was just a normal girl of about 19. But, no. She was far, far more. Lisa was born on the planet Alnilam (that is, the middle star in Orion's belt, if you were to look up at the winter sky) many centuries ago. She is over 2000 years old and yet looks like a young adult. She's about 5 foot 3 and a half, has long, waist-length brown hair, and brown eyes behind gold, oval-framed glasses. Her most distinguishing feature, however, was her large, yellow-gold wings. They often got her mistaken for an angel, a comparison she _hated_. Lisa is a traveler at hearts (she has two), and yet she always stayed in one place if she had a reason to. Her reason was usually that she fell in love; it has happened a few times. She comes home just to relax, or to recuperate and unwind after she loses someone. It takes a while for her hearts to mend, but it happens. She was on Alnilam, now, for the former. Lisa has a set of powers, and they will be noted in time.

Golden Mun, a.k.a. "Goldy", is a golden unicorn from the world of Nula, a world connected to Alnilam by a Gateway. He and Lisa share a connection; they are very close, deep friends and love each other as friends (as far as Lisa knows, anyway).

Rising Fog/Jamie is a male Empath Kinsellan flit. They resemble dragons, in a way. Empaths are the rarest, but also the most intelligent of the classes. They have dark colors, mostly blacks and grays (Jamie is mostly black with a little gray and white on his wing-tips, muzzle, tail-tip, and legs), and matching these colors is their quiet and reserved nature. They dislike loud noises and large groups of people, as they are reclusive and even moody at times; but in spite of this, they care greatly for their bonds, to the point where they would sacrifice themselves to keep their bond from suffering. Empaths have a very keen seventh sense that allows them to feel and emotions the pain of anyone or anything, but the strength of this "empathy sense" varies from flit to flit. They are banded black and communicate through mind-speech with their bond. If it lives near its bond, like in the bond's house, it will usually sleep as close as possible to its bond without disturbing it. Empaths like quiet, are kind of moody, and don't like people invading their bond's personal space (i.e., their closet and such). They're big on asking questions of their bonds – intelligent ones, mind – mostly because they simply want to know more. Some of them can be even taught to play games like checkers or chess, if they're willing to learn. Empaths in particular pick up on the moods of their bonds and others very easily. Every flit owner has a unique set of colors and symbols that identify which flits are theirs. Lisa's particular set of colors is dark red and the symbols for her initials.

Anyway, back to the story.

Dinner for Lisa consisted of slices of roast chicken and soda; Goldy's was oats and water, and Jamie bits of bread and water. Dessert was fruit for the three of them.

As they ate, none of the trio noticed the mismatched eyes of a white owl watching them from the branches of the tree, an owl that had been following them most of the day.

After dinner, Lisa and Goldy took a long run around the small meadow. Jamie flew above them, trying to keep up. Lisa and Goldy both loved to run at a full-out gallop (though they couldn't go _that_ fast otherwise they'd leave poor Jamie far behind); Jamie, however, preferred to fly. Goldy didn't get tired easily, being a unicorn. They ran until a few minutes before sunset, then headed back to the tree. From that point, they could easily watch the sun sink below the horizon.

Only then did Lisa notice the owl again. It was still watching them. Lisa hooted a hello to it (she can speak the language of animals), but all it did was flap its wings and fly away.

Shrugging, Lisa reclined against Goldy, using his soft side as a pillow. Jamie lay down on her stomach. Together, the three of them watched the sunset. Goldy nuzzled Lisa's hair as they watched. She reached up to stroke his cheek. She loved him, of course, and Goldy loved her, but Lisa never realized, and was possibly doomed to _never_ realize, just _how much_ Goldy loved her.

The trio fell asleep together under that big tree in the meadow.

The owl flew towards the forest, planning on returning when he was sure Lisa, the flit, and the golden unicorn were asleep. He banked to make a quick U-turn, but ended up ramming into the side of a very angry, very large unicorn.

His fur was dark purple and he had brightly colored markings on his rump, face, chest, legs, and neck. His eyes, an angry red, almost glowing. His horn, a black spear.

Dazed, the owl tried to get its bearings, but unfortunately that put it within striking distance of the unicorn's horn. That horn came slashing across and opened a gash right in the owl's chest and threw him into a tree. Something cracked.

Pain in his wing and his chest, followed by numbness everywhere, hit the owl hard. He fell to the ground with a thud. The unicorn loomed over him, trumpeting its rage and pounding its iron-hard hooves, drawing sparks as they struck against the jewel-like rocks.

The owl squeezed his eyes shut, waiting to be trampled, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes and saw Lisa standing there, the unicorn and the flit by her side.

"Janis Thorn, stop!" she shouted. She ran to the owl and picked him up in her arms. He could hear her echoing heart beating. If owls could sigh, he would have, in relief, because he felt safe in Lisa's arms.

The purple unicorn, Janis Thorn Lisa had said, stomped and neighed loudly. Lisa's face twisted into a frown. She was getting mad. It was then she noticed the thick, green liquid dripping from Janis Thorn's horn. The same stuff was on the owl's chest.

"Dammit, Janis Thorn," growled Lisa. "You either learn to control your temper or we'll find some way to de-poison you. Goldy, let's get to Medicus as fast as you can go."

_End part one._


	2. King Meets Alien

**Disclaimer: See part one for disclaimers and dedications.**

Lisa cradled the owl in her arms as Goldy raced to the place where Medicus, the medical unicorn, spent the night, Jamie flying beside them as fast as his wings could take him. She knew Janis Thorn's poison will cause paralysis and then death if not treated. Medicus had found a cure for it, and not a moment too soon. Now he always kept a supply of it in his cart.

"Just hang on," she told the owl. "We're almost there." She silently gave thanks that Goldy could run forever if he wanted to.

Lisa could hear the owl's heart slow down, its eyes closing. She had to hurry; she dug her heels into Goldy, urging him to go faster. "Jamie, catch up when you can!" she shouted.

Goldy took a deep breath and widened his stride, going faster and faster. The trees whizzed by so fast they were a blur. The owl jerked in her arms, like a spasm.

They reached Medicus's place in no time. The white unicorn was sleeping in a bed of leaves; his cart was in the corner.

Lisa jumped down off of Goldy and screeched, "Medicus!"

The unicorn whinnied in surprise, jumping to his feet.

"Medicus, I need the cure for Janis Thorn's poison. Now!"

Medicus shook the sleep out of his head and went to his cart. He looked at the patient in Lisa's arms and levitated out a bowl of off-white cream. Lisa dipped her fingers into the stuff and rubbed it into the gash in the owl's chest. The wound closed up, but there was a scar exposed by missing feathers. The owl, though, started to breathe easier and opened its eyes. To Lisa's surprise, one was blue and one was brown.

"Hi," she said to it, softly. "You're safe now."

The owl blinked and hooted in pain. His wing was stuck at an odd angle and throbbing. She growled. "I think his wing is broken. Damn that unicorn." She looked up. "Medicus?"

The unicorn yawned and came closer to examine the owl. He nodded to indicate that, yes, the wing was broken. He went through his cart again, levitating out a long cloth soaked in some sort of blue liquid. **_"I'll help you make sure the bones are straight, and you wrap it around the break." Medicus said, speaking the basic unicorn language of Alnilam, which nearly everyone on the planet, Lisa included, understood; even Goldy, who wasn't from Alnilam._**

Lisa did as she was told. The owl jerked again as she straightened the bones under Medicus' instructions and wrapped the cloth around the wing. "Sorry," she said. When she got it wrapped tight, she let Medicus examine him to make sure nothing else was wrong, and when there wasn't, she said, "Goldy, let's get it to my place. I'll find a place for it to sleep. Thanks, Medicus. You can go back to bed now."

Jamie flew through the clearing, exhausted, and landed on Goldy's back. Medicus nodded to Lisa and yawned again, then lay down in his bed. Lisa climbed back onto Goldy, keeping Jamie in front of her and he ran at an easy canter first toward their picnic site to gather their stuff, then to the house.

Lisa's house did not look large from the outside, but once you walked in, you wonder how so many rooms fit. The main reason there was so much space was because of the unicorns that were almost constantly in and out. The house was big enough to accommodate their size if a group of them had to be inside at the same time.

Once you walked up the front porch past the swing and walked inside, you're in the living room, which is between the kitchen on the right and the dining room on the left. The living room contains a big screen television to which was hooked every gaming system ever made (and I mean _every, from Atari to X-Box), plus three VCRs (VHS, Super VHS, and Beta), a laserdisc player, a DVD player, and CD changer/stereo. Next to the television is a very, very tall display case holding every video game ever made (still in cases and in mint condition) with a built-in cabinet for the playable copies of the games. A door off to the side led to Lisa's library, which was full to the ceiling with books, DVDs, CDs, laserdiscs, and videos._

Straight down from the living room was what Lisa liked to call the "Hall O' Rooms". It's a long hallway with doors all along it. Through the doors are bedrooms with their own bathroom. Lisa's room is the first door on the right; the others are unoccupied. They were all identical (except Lisa's was slightly larger), containing a bed, dresser, closet, and, as stated before, private bathroom with all the necessities therein.

The dining room and kitchen were nothing to write home about. They held the essentials and were in easy view of the TV. There was also a door leading to the outside. Behind the house was what could only be described as a habitat. It was for Lisa's Pokémon to live outside their PokéBalls, free.

The most interesting feature of the house was the wall-pulley system. Each of the rooms in the Hall O' Rooms faced the outside and, down just above the floor on the inside and outside, was a little lever. When stepped on, the outside wall would slide up and into a recess in the ceiling, giving the unicorns direct access to those rooms; very handy if Medicus, the medical unicorn, needed to see a patient in those rooms since his cart didn't go up the porch step very well.

Lisa set the owl gently on her couch when she got there, then went to look for something it could sleep in. Jamie flew into Lisa's bedroom to rest his wings. Lisa suddenly "heard" Goldy's voice in her head. He sounded alarmed.

_~Lisa!~_

She came running back only to find the owl had turned into a man. He was dressed in tights and an open-necked shirt. His blond hair was long and wild. Underneath a grand pendant around his neck, there was a mark or scar on his chest where Janis Thorn had slashed him, and his arm was bent from the cloth wrapped around it. He looked like he was asleep.

Jamie came flying in. _What's happened? he asked in mind-speech. He had sensed Goldy's alarm._

Lisa spoke telepathically, so not to wake up her…guest. _The owl turned into a man. She decided there was only one way, short of waking him or waiting until he'd woken, to find out who we was. She opened her mind, concentrated, and searched his._

_Jareth. Goblin King. Labyrinth._

_He's the Goblin King! Lisa said excitedly. She'd heard about him, of course, and had seen the Earth movie, but never actually expected to meet him! Strange how he looked a little like David Bowie. __I wonder why he was watching us._

_~Isn't it obvious?~ Goldy said. __~He probably took an interest in you. Everyone does.~ There was a hint of sadness in his voice that Lisa wouldn't or __couldn't catch._

He had a point. The list of Lisa's guys was endless. Who would complain if the Goblin King were to be added? Although, Lisa hadn't fallen in love quite yet. If Lisa remembered the story right, he had fallen in love with a human girl named Sarah. Okay, so she had spurned him, so maybe Lisa had a chance if it _did happen. It wasn't as if she were helpless. Lisa had powers of her own._

Lisa decided to let Jareth sleep. She even stayed by his side all night. Goldy spent the night lying beside Lisa, but because he, too, had heard of the Goblin King and what he was capable of. He wasn't going to let him hurt Lisa. Jamie slept on a chair where he could keep an eye on everyone in the room. He wasn't about to let anything happen to Lisa, either.

Lisa herself was flattered that her two friends would go to these lengths to protect her. She settled on a cushy chair for the night.

***

Lisa hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep until she felt something softly pushing at her hand. It was Goldy, nudging her with his velvety nose. He gestured with his horn at the sleeping Jareth on the couch. Lisa looked over, and saw that he was waking up.

She immediately got to her feet and went to him, watching him.

Jareth's mismatched eyes opened and focused on Lisa. His brow furrowed in confusion, then he winced in pain and clutched his broken arm.

"Oh!" said Lisa. "I forgot! This medicine was made for birds. It won't work on you." She moved to unwrap the cloth from his arm, but he twisted out of her reach.

"Now, really, Jareth, you're acting like a child." Lisa said, crossing her arms and acting a lot more overconfident than normal.

He considered, then stopped squirming. As Lisa un-bandaged his arm, he asked simply, "Why?"

"Why what? Why am I helping you?"

He chuckled. "Yes, although that wasn't what I was going for. Why won't it work?"

Lisa removed the bandage. His arm was red where the break was. "Medicus made this with medicine for birds. You were an owl before, remember? I have the one for humanoids. Stay there."

She disappeared down the hall and returned a minute later carrying another medicine-soaked cloth. This time, it was green. "Will you let me wrap it?" she asked him.

He nodded.

She hoped the broken bones had started to kit already as she wrapped his arm. "I'm helping you because I have a weakness. It's called compassion. If I had let Janis Thorn's poison set in, it would've killed you quicker than you could say, 'dance magic'."

He looked up sharply at her, wondering how she could know about that.

Lisa smiled. "Guess that really happened." She went over to the cabinet and took something out. A DVD movie. She brought it to him and held it out he could see the cover. "This movie was made about you, by Jim Henson."

Jareth took the DVD in his hands and studied the cover, which showed the goblins, the Escher Room, Sarah, and…himself. The title _Labyrinth was printed at the top and the caption, "Where Everything Seems Possible And Nothing Is What It Seems" at the bottom. He flipped the case over in his hands to look at the back, then turned it again. He stared at the representation of himself._

"Uncanny, ain't it?" Lisa questioned, taking the movie back from him and putting it away. "Just between you and me and my 'bodyguards' over there…" she jerked her thumb to her right, where the golden unicorn and the black flit were staring at him, "I think you're better looking in person."

He glanced up and her and she just shrugged.

_~Why are you here?~ Goldy suddenly asked, surprising Lisa. He was always so quiet and polite. His horn shimmered, almost as if he wanted to use it._

Lisa started at the unicorn, astonished by his change of attitude.

"It…" Jareth began, trying to sit up a little but being stopped by a spasm of pain in his arm. "It wasn't by choice, really," he said, grunting a little. "I was flying over the forest and spotted a mist between the trees. I went to investigate and found myself here. I narrowly missed being attacked by one of _his kind," he nodded in Goldy's direction, "with a horn that looked halfway made of wood."_

"Woodhorn," said Lisa. "You found a Gate."

_But you were following us, Jamie said. That surprised Lisa more. Jamie usually always kept quiet._

"That's enough," Lisa said before Jareth could answer. "Leave him alone. Other than that," she gestured to Jareth's broken arm, "there's no harm done."

_End part two._


	3. The Fever

**Disclaimer: See part one for disclaimers and dedications.**

Lisa had talked Jareth into staying at the house until his arm healed, because it would be easier to get past Woodhorn, providing the unicorn was still patrolling that particular Gate, if he could fly. Woodhorn also didn't attack animals too often.

"I don't know why he tried to attack you when you first got through," Lisa was saying. "Maybe you surprised him."

Whatever Jareth was going to say was cut off by a fit of coughing. Lisa stepped closer to him, concerned. His pendant slid away from the mark on his chest. Lisa gasped when she saw it. The mark was _glowing._

_He's sick, said Jamie. He could sense it._

When the fit passed, it left Jareth weak and gasping. The mark glowed brighter.

"This isn't the effect of the poison," said Lisa, helping him lay back on the couch. "This is something else. He has a fever." She was feeling his forehead. When she withdrew it, her hand was damp with his sweat. Lisa turned to Goldy. "Go get Medicus," she ordered.

If the golden unicorn had any inhibitions about leaving her alone with the Goblin King, it was forgotten. He sprang to his hooves and exited, heading out of find Medicus.

Lisa sat next to Jareth. He was breathing shallowly. "Jareth?" she asked. "Jareth, can you hear me?"

"Mmm…?" he murmured.

"Jareth, you're very sick," Lisa said, speaking very clearly. "Goldy is getting help. I want to move you to a bedroom, but I need your help."

His brow furrowed in concentration as he took her words in, then he nodded.

"Sit up slowly. I want you to lean on me with your good arm, but try not to lean too hard."

Jareth, again, paused for her words to process in his brain, then did as instructed. He winced, but whether it was from pain or dizziness or both, Lisa couldn't be sure.

She helped him stand, then slid an arm around his waist, putting his good arm around her shoulders. She grunted a bit from the weight and had to use a little telekinesis, or TK for short, to help hold him up.

_End part three._


	4. The Search for Medicus

**Disclaimer: All the stuff in the previous parts apply. Lenore's name borrowed from Edgar Allan Poe. Mystic is the property of the Ty Beanie Baby Corporation.**

Lisa led Jareth to the Hall O' Rooms. She helped him down the hall, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to make it to where she wanted to go, so she entered the room across from her own.

Lisa helped Jareth to the bed and laid him down. The mark on his chest was glowing brighter as Jareth got weaker. She sat beside him and held his hand, waiting for Goldy to return.

***

Golden Mun galloped toward the large meadow, wondering just _why the presence of the Goblin King bothered him so much. Perhaps it was because of the fact that he loved Lisa. He had since she was a little girl, a past she could not remember anymore. Why she couldn't realize how much he loved her was a total mystery to him._

Lisa traveled so much, and she usually always found someone on those travels. Someone to love. Someone who could do things Goldy couldn't because he wasn't human and couldn't shift forms.

Snorting, he shook the thoughts out of his mind. He had a job to do, and because he loved Lisa so much, he'd do anything for her. Well, almost anything. Anything within reason.

Goldy stopped at the edge of the large meadow, scanning the area for Medicus. Among the different colored manes, tails, and coats of the unicorns using the meadow to eat, drink, and play, there was not a trace of red and white in them, nor of the big, wooden cart.

He did, however, find Lisa's unicorn, Mystic. He went to her and they touched horns in greeting.

**_"Hello, Golden Mun," Mystic said. Only Lisa called him Goldy._**

_~Hello, Mystic. I'm looking for Medicus.~_

She shook her head, her iridescent, red-spiraled horn glittering in the golden sunlight. **_"I haven't seen him. Try his place?"_**

Goldy nodded, gave his thanks, and headed for the area Medicus called home. He wasn't there, either.

Stomping his hoof, annoyed, Goldy went back to the meadow and began asking around. No one had seen Medicus that morning.

Though he was trying to keep calm, Goldy hated to think what Lisa would do if the Lord of the Labyrinth died.

_~It would throw off the balance of magic,~ he said to himself, and because he spoke telepathically, he was __literally speaking to himself._

Goldy knew all too well how magic and memories affected those in tune with it. He, himself, nearly died because Lisa couldn't remember him (but that's another story).

**_"Penny for them?" said a voice._**

Goldy turned to see a solid black unicorn with blue eyes standing behind him. A black bird was perched on her back. Raven and her bird, Lenore.

_~I beg your pardon?~ he said, blinking at the female's unfamiliar terminology._

She chuckled. **_"It's an Earth expression. 'Penny for your thoughts'."_**

That explained why he'd never heard it. Goldy had never been to Earth.

**_"It means," Raven explained, _****_" 'Care_****_ to share what you're thinking?' "_**

Goldy just shook his head. _~Never mind. Have you seen Medicus?~_

Raven tilted her head to one side, thinking. **_"Yes. This morning I saw him heading to the deep part of the forest. I think he was collecting supplies." She pointed him in the direction she had seen Medicus moving._**

Goldy thanked her, bade her goodbye, and galloped off.

_End part four._


	5. It's Fading,,,It's All Fading

**Disclaimer: Same ol', same ol'. Magic and Scorch also property of the Ty Beanie Baby Corporation.**

Lisa was getting worried. Goldy had been gone for over an hour and Jareth was getting worse. The mark on his chest was glowing even brighter, and he was unconscious, breathing shallowly.

She was trying to get his fever down by putting ice on his forehead. Even that wouldn't wake him.

Jamie was perched on the headboard above Jareth, using his Empathic powers to monitor what he could of Jareth's vital signs. From what he could sense, things did not look good. He knew he couldn't hide the awful truth from Lisa, because they were linked together.

_Lisa_... he began, but she cut him off.

"I know," she said.

The scar on Jareth's chest was glowing a malicious red, nearly illuminating the whole room.

Jareth, the Goblin King, was dying.

***

Goldy had been searching for Medicus for nearly 2 hours now. The forest was so thick and deep, he could search for longer and still never find him. He very briefly considered asking Woodhorn, but decided against it. The territorial unicorn might run him through just for stepping up to him.

As well as looking for Medicus, Goldy was also keeping an eye open for Magic or Scorch, two small dragons that hung around the medical unicorn for some reason or another. Heck, he was looking for _anyone_ who could contact Medicus.

In the distance, Goldy heard a sound that was known amongst the unicorns as the Help Cry. It was in Lisa's voice. She was trying to call Medicus that way. In the cry, he heard her calling him back, so Goldy abandoned his search and made his way back to the house.

He saw Lisa leaning out one of the bedroom windows, so he headed there. She moved when she saw him coming so he could enter.

Goldy stepped to the wall and pressed down the lever situated at the bottom of the wall with his hoof.

The wall slid up and into a recess in the ceiling, allowing him to walk in.

The sight he encountered had to be one of the saddest Goldy had ever seen.

Jareth was lying prone on the bed, shivering despite the warm blanket covering him. He was sweating and Lisa had a cold compress resting on his forehead. The scar left by Janis Thorn was giving off its malevolent light. His breathing was so shallow, and his heartbeat was so slow, they were almost nonexistent.

"He's been unconscious for hours," Lisa said to Goldy. She had moved to Jareth's side and was holding his hand between both of her own.

_~This is bad,~_ Goldy said. _~If he dies_…_~_ He didn't complete the thought. He didn't have to. Lisa already knew something bad would probably happen if Jareth died.

_End part five._


	6. Magic Helps Its Own

**Disclaimer: Everything from previous chapters still applies. I borrowed something in this part from Billy Joel, but I'll give it back. This tale is dedicated to not only Sallie Drazzi, but Neko-chan and Stella. Without them, you would not have a fic. ^^**

Medicus had gone out early to collect supplies for his remedies. He had been running very low on the dew from the starflowers that grew in a clearing deep in the forest. They were a silver flower that only bloomed in the wee hours of the morning, secreting a kind of dew that was perfect for some of his remedies, and essential in a few, too.

Very few unicorns were out this early; most liked to sleep in, the children especially.

One black-coated, blue-eyed mare was grazing along the meadow. A black bird was dozing on her back. Medicus recognized the strange pair at once: Raven and Lenore.

**_"Greetings, Raven. Hello, Lenore."_**

Raven looked up but the sleepy bird just opened one bleary eye, regarded Medicus, then turned her tail and settled down. Lenore was definitely _not a morning-raven._

**_"Hello, Medicus," Raven responded, touching her horn to his own. _****_"What are you doing up so early?"_**

Medicus gestured as best he could to the cart hitched to him. **_"Work._****_ Perhaps we shall meet again later."_**

Raven nodded and they said goodbye; Medicus headed towards the forest, skirting Woodhorn on his way. He didn't need to contend with the stallion this early in the morning (he wasn't sure if Woodhorn _ever slept)._

Medicus used his mild levitation powers to collect the dewdrops in vials, storing them safely in his cart. He also gathered some purplish roots that grew at the base of one of the trees. They were good for reducing fever. He spent several hours collecting all sorts of natural goodies, each having their own special healing powers.

He still needed the berries from the bushes that grew along the edge of the River of Dreams. To get there and back would take a day, not counting the time it took to find the location.

There was no time like the present, so he headed off, his cart creaking behind him, unaware that he was desperately needed to help a certain Goblin King.

***

Lisa was feeling helpless, sitting there watching Jareth's health deteriorate as time went on. The sun was setting, now, and she was sure time was running out.

_They say Time is the fire in which we burn…__My time is running out, a voice hissed in her mind._

Her hearts ached; she felt like crying. Instead, she put that energy into playing a soft, haunting melody on her panpipes. She couldn't be sure if Jareth could hear the music or not, but it felt good to hear something other than his ragged breathing and slow heartbeat.

The flute music enveloped them in its own brand of magic. Goldy, who was lying in a corner of the room, shut his eyes as he listened. Jamie was perched beside Lisa, small tears forming his eyes. He could feel Lisa's deep sadness, her helplessness. Both of them wanted to do something, _anything, to help things be better._

***

Medicus suddenly stopped in his tracks, odd feelings coursing through his body from his nose to the tip of his tail. He shivered and looked behind him, past his cart, back to his home.

He had spent the most part of the day collecting supplies, traveling around to different places on the planet. Now…now he had the sinking feeling something bad was happening.

Beautiful, haunting, but very, very faint, music reached Medicus' ears: Lisa's pan flute. That nearly stunned him. Alnilam unicorns had very, very good hearing by design, but certainly not _that good. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong._

Quickly, Medicus hitched his cart and took off at a gallop. He got stuck several times and nearly tipped his cart in his rush to return. Sweat broke out on his hide as he ran faster than he'd ever run before, his horn glowing intensely in the dying sunlight.

The sun was well below the horizon by the time he reached Lisa's house. He saw a single light in one of the bedrooms and headed there. The pan flute music stopped abruptly, and Lisa's head poked through the window.

Her eyes went wide. "Medicus!" she cried, her voice breaking in a near-shriek. "Get in here, quick!"

_End part six._


	7. The Cure

**Disclaimer: Let me reinstate that Jareth belongs to Jim Henson and everyone else belongs to me. Kinsellan flits are the creation of Jessica Dragontamer, who can be contacted via her Elfwood gallery (http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/loth/j/t/jth/jth.html) if you would like one of your own.**

Lisa moved aside to allow Medicus access to Jareth's room. He entered, unhitching his cart and leaving it outside (the room wasn't big enough for two unicorns and the cart). He gasped aloud at the sight he saw: A light was coming from Jareth's chest, a light the color of blood.

The unicorn stepped close to the Goblin King and put his horn against his forehead, his throat, and finally the glowing mark on his chest.

**_"Virus," said Medicus. _****_"Who is he?"_**

"Remember the owl we brought to you? That's him. Jareth, the King of the Goblins."

Medicus' eyes went round. All unicorns knew the story of the Goblin King. Most magical creatures did, in fact. He said, **_"The virus probably entered through the open wound on his chest."_**

"Why didn't you pick up this virus when you checked him before?" Lisa demanded.

**_"Because it took time to set in and was nearly invisible when I checked him." Medicus went to his cart, rummaging around, his back to Lisa so she couldn't see what he was doing._**

A dish of teal cream levitated to Lisa. Medicus instructed, **_"Rub the cream into the wound."_**

_What is it? Jamie asked._

Medicus turned his eyes on the flit, who was bathed in the blood-red light from Jareth. **_"The cream is the cure for the virus. I developed it when I first discovered it. It will also close the wound, reduce the fever, and prevent further infection."_**

Lisa wasted no time in doing what Medicus instructed.

_~Close it?~ Goldy asked. __~It was closed before.~_

Medicus shook his head, his red forelock wisping down in front of his black eyes. **_"The infection opened it, and that's where the glow is coming from. Give him until morning."_**

When Lisa pulled her hand away, the light turned the color of the cream rubbed into the wound, then slowly started to fade. Everyone breathed a sigh of utter relief. Medicus levitated the cream back to his cart.

Jareth started to breathe easier and his heartbeat grew stronger. Lisa took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Medicus made a unicorn smile. **_"He will sleep until the morning, maybe the afternoon. The infection will be gone by then." He sounded so sure of himself, they were inclined to believe him._**

Lisa, overcome with emotion, stood and threw her arms around Medicus' neck. He snorted softly, stunned, but nuzzled her back.

Goldy spoke for her. _~Thank you, Medicus. You just might have saved more than His Highness's life.~_

**_"It's my job," he said as Lisa pulled away. _****_"I promise I won't go anywhere until I receive word that he's fully recovered." With that, he turned, hitched his cart, and walked away. The wall closed behind him._**

Lisa pulled a chair to Jareth's bedside and took his hand, intent on watching him until he woke.

***

Unfortunately, Lisa's willpower wasn't that strong, and she ended up falling asleep, as did Goldy and Jamie.

Jareth's eyelids fluttered open, very slowly. His vision was blurred, but it gradually came into focus. He saw the flit, asleep at his left side, and Lisa holding his hand and sleeping at his right. The golden unicorn was also asleep, lying in a corner of the room.

He looked down at his chest and saw that the wound that had been inflicted on him had all but disappeared. He no longer felt dizzy or in pain. Even his arm felt better.

Very gently, he shook the hand Lisa was holding in order to wake her up. When she didn't, he called her name.

She muttered and he shook his hand again. Her eyes opened and she focused on him.

"You're okay!" she said, moving to sit at his side. "I was…I was terrified you'd die."

"To be honest," he said, his voice a little weak but gaining strength with each passing minute, "so was I. What happened?"

As Jamie and Goldy woke themselves, Lisa explained what had happened. She removed the bandage on Jareth's arm and he flexed it, finding it in perfect working order. Lisa tossed the bandage in a hamper in the corner.

"This has been a…most interesting experience, Lisa." Jareth said, eyeing her a little oddly.

She chuckled. "Yes, well, life's never dull around here. We'll send word to Medicus when we're sure you're fully recovered, and then I guess you can go once you feel up to it."

His eyebrows rose suggestively. "What's the hurry?" He squeezed her hand.

Lisa looked at him curiously, his words settling in her brain, then she laughed. "Really, Jareth! Just came back from Death's Door and it didn't change you one bit."

"Well," he said. "You _did save my life. I feel I am in your debt."_

She shrugged. "Let's make a deal. Allow me to visit whenever I want, you can do the same provided you can find me, and we'll call it even."

Jareth sat up in bed, considering. "I have a better idea. I guarantee it will be worth your while."

Lisa leaned forward, interested, as Jareth whispered in her ear.

_Finis._

**Author's Note: You didn't _really think I'd kill him off, did you? For shame! Remember the words of Sallie Drazzi!! "It may be easy to get a kiss from the Goblin King, but he gets pissed off if you kill him off or make him gay." Now all you gotta do is wait for the sequel. *grin*_**


End file.
